Herbal Cures Part 3 | Herbarium Digital Library


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Herbal Cures Part 3

Category: Articles
Date Posted: 2006-01-31

1. BANANA (Lagerstroemia speciosa)

Banana tree grows from 4 to 15 meters high, characteristically shedding off its leaves once a year. It can be identified easily through its flowers, which are lilac purple and have petals with wavy margins. The parts which have medicinal uses are leaves, fruits, roots and bark. The following are its uses and applications:

q For treatment of diabetes, edema or to ease urination
Dry for a week 28 old leaves, 11 ripe fruits, 50 of young leaves.
Boil any of the above in 1 cup of water for 45 minutes until it is reduced to 1/5 cup.
Re-dilute the te3a to 1 cup and divide this into 3 parts to be taken 1 hour before meals.

q For fever
Place 1 teaspoon of the bark pweder in 1 cup boiling water (infusion)
Cover for 10 to 15 minutes and drink

q For jaundice, edema, dizziness
Boil 10 pieces of roots, 6.5 cm long and 2.5 cm wide per piece, in 10 cups of water for one hour and drink.

2. KATAKATAKA (Kalanchoe pinnata)

Katakataka is an erect juicy herb reaching more than a meter high. In other dialects, it is known as maritana, tapak-tapak. It is abundant in thickest and open places, and is also cultivated for ornamental purposes. The plant flowers from December to March.

Fro medicinal purpose, the entire plant may be collected the whole year round. The parts are chiefly used fresh. And for a very important reminder, preparations from katakataka should not be taken internally.

For sprains, eczema, infections, burns and headaches, just pund fresh material and apply as poultice on affected areas.

Katakataka can be identified through its leaves. They are simple, thick and juicy, with scalloped margins; roots and baby plants may arise from these margins. The flowers are hanging downward, red or purple in color. The fruits are dry, several seeded, opening on once side of the pod.

3. LUYA (Zingiber officinale)

Luya is an erect plant growing from thickened, fleshy, very aromatic underground stems (rhizome). It is known in Tagalog and Hilagaynon as luya; in Ilocano, laya or baseng. The plant is widely cultivated throughout the Philippines.

For medical purposes, the parts utilized are the rhizome. The following are the uses and application:

q As a stimulant and to relieve gas pain
Boil the rhizome about 2 inches long in 2 cups water for 15 to 20 minutes to make a pale, golden colored tea (salabat). Flavor with a little sugar. This dose lasts for a day?s need.

q As an antirheumatic
The punded rhizome alone or mixed with oil is applied externally to rheumatic parts.

q As an antiseptic
Prepare a tincture consisting of dried punded rhizome (2 inches long) mixed with oil and leave preparation for a week. Apply to cuts and wounds.

4. CACTUS
The lowly nopal cactus, which grows wild in nearly all of Mexico and is even picture on the national flag, can have a wide variety of medical benefits. Researchers say that the cactus can help dieters as well as thos suffering from diabetes and high cholesterol levels.

Mexican scientists recently discovered that the juice of the nopal cactus may help alleviate a wide variety of illnesses and conditions. This was also the belief of pre-Hispanic Indians who once lived in the area.

The nopal, native to Mexico and southwestern United States, can grow up to 6 feet tall. It bears a fruit called the prickly pear or ?tuna? in Spanish.

5. HERBA BUENA
Barrio folk use the leaves of herba Buena to cure common ailments ligh couth, asthma, stomach pain, fever, toothache, insect bit, dizziness, headache, and arthritis. Recent pharmacological analysis revealed that the extracts from the leaves have analgesic and anti-pyretic activity.